Red Dot on Clitoris: Causes & Relief

Hi Aunt Vadge,

Four weeks ago I had sex with my boyfriend for the first time. It was also the first time I’d had sex in about two years. We used a condom. (It was latex and I’ve requested that we no longer use latex condoms.)

Approximately 24 hours later, I began experiencing itching that reminded me of yeast infection symptoms.

The itching only occurred at and around the vaginal opening which was also sore and agitated in general. I had slightly abnormal discharge, nothing crazy – no odor.

Upon visual inspection, my clitoris was quite red and swollen and there was a small spot on my clitoral hood that had a pinching sensation when touched.

After using OTC yeast infection medication both externally and internally for 3-4 days I was very pleased that everything had calmed down and looked healthy and normal.

The only thing that 4 weeks later has not gone away is that small spot in my clitoral hood. 99% of the time, I feel nothing. No discomfort while sitting, walking etc. I only feel it sometimes when wiping and always while washing in the shower.

Why won’t this skin heal?

I have refrained from ALL activity down there. I’ve tried vaseline for extra protection and THOUGHT I noticed improvement but I think I’m kidding myself.

It has not gotten worse – it’s just the same! There is no pus, no flaking – just a slight redness and a small pinching sensation when touched.

Please help!

Yours,
Spotty
Age 33, USA

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Dear Spotty,

Based on your symptoms – itching plus a slightly sore red spot on your clitoral hood that won’t go away – it is very hard to pinpoint precisely what that might be.

If your OTC yeast treatments worked, that’s a good sign that you may want to double down with some more targeted, non-drug treatments, as there are sometimes lingering yeasts¹ that need to be eradicated. That’s where I’d start.

My recommendation:

Use Aunt Vadge’s Yeast/Thrush Herbal Pessary Blend topically on the affected area twice daily for at least 3-4 days, and longer if symptoms persist
Take Kolorex Oral Supplement to get to yeast in the digestive system and systemically – use up the whole jar
And take a good vaginal probiotic with yeast in mind that contains Saccharomyces boulardii – check your local pharmacy or health store for a good quality brand

Other options to explore failing a more advanced yeast treatment

It seems that you have either had a very distinct reaction to the condom, or the sex has been a bit rough and has caused the inflammation of your clitoris. Or, a bit of both.

Other options include:

Allergy
Immune reaction
Genital psoriasis
Vulvar dermatitis
STI (herpes, though it seems unlikely)
Fungal infection
Vulvar eczema

The thing with small wounds that won’t go away are the contributing factors, and microbes and the immune system must be suspected, since you are presumably not repeatedly cutting yourself.

This means there is something keeping the small spot inflamed that is coming from inside your body. If it’s not yeast, since you have already treated yourself with antifungals and my recommended treatment, that leaves another type of fungus, or perhaps your immune system is a little underperforming.

Immune-related inflammation (think asthma, hayfever, eczema, psoriasis) can trigger small bouts of skin eruptions, which can cause small red bumps, lesions, or another blemish on your vulva and clitoris. This could include genital psoriasis.

You are right to point the finger at condoms, and that would be my first suspicion, which would fit in with the immune-related response – a minor allergy could have triggered off the immune system, which has resulted in the small spot not disappearing.

Take a look at the health of the rest of your body. Have you developed any other allergies or intolerances over the past few years? Are you sensitive to smells and chemicals, or do you get hay fever or eczema?

It is quite common to develop allergies later in life for ‘no reason’, but regulating the immune system in these cases would be important.

It would pay to go and see a doctor to be examined, and while it seems unlikely to be a sexually transmitted infection (proper use of condoms works very well), it is useful to get tested for everything to rule it out so you can move on to finding the solution.

Once you have been examined by someone who knows the vulva well (like a vulvar dermatologist), you will get a diagnosis you can work with (or they will throw up their hands and declare your case a mystery!), and they will likely offer you topical medication (probably steroid cream, more antifungals or antibacterials of some kind).

For some people, these creams can just clear it up, and it never returns, so they are worth exploring.

Take photographs of your vulva now so that you can show the doctor, just in case the problem disappears before you get a chance to see someone. Keep a clear diary of all your symptoms, starting before this occurred, in case there is a correlation.

If you aren’t getting anywhere after all of that, please book in with one of our vulvovaginal specialist practitioners – we can help you get to the bottom of it.

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge

References^1,2

1.
Moreira D, Ruiz LS, Leite-Jr DP, et al. Difference Between the Profiles Presented by Yeasts that Colonize the Vaginal Mucosa or Cause Primary or Recurrent Candidiasis. Mycopathologia. Published online June 2021:411-421. doi:10.1007/s11046-021-00556-y
2.
Chatzivasileiou P, Vyzantiadis T. Vaginal yeast colonisation: From a potential harmless condition to clinical implications and management approaches—A literature review. Mycoses. Published online May 23, 2019:638-650. doi:10.1111/myc.12920